A Perth father who was diagnosed with lung cancer following a family trip to Florida is fronting a national campaign to bring the disease “out from the shadow” of Covid-19.
Andy McKay, 47, is highlighting the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation’s “Still Here” campaign which has raised concerns that the signs of lung cancer, a new cough, are being mislabelled as coronavirus.
The foundation points to worrying research that claims delays in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer during the pandemic could lead to 1,372 avoidable deaths in next five years.
Andy was diagnosed with the disease in 2o17 after returning from a “trip of a lifetime” from America where he first noticed that he was not feeling himself.
The father-of-two said: “It began with symptoms in my head. I started to get strange headaches and feeling a bit dizzy and off-balance.
“I likened it to the feeling of having about two gins but then it turned into something more like ten gins.
“I thought it might be bad hay fever because it was summertime and it came and went, so I thought pollen might be causing it.
“The balance problems were off and on. Then it got to the point where I had balance issues permanently and unfortunately that was the day before we travelled to Florida.”
After returning from the USA, Andy went for a scan where it was discovered he had a brain tumour that had developed from a primary tumour in his lung.
The devastating diagnoses has left Andy in no doubt about the importance of having access to GPs and tests.
“I feel very strongly about people not feeling able to see their GP and therefore not being referred for further tests,” said Andy.
“I just want to make people aware of what a persistent cough can mean, so they will – hopefully – insist on getting properly tested.”
Paula Chadwick, the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation’s chief executive, is encouraging people with symptoms they believe may be related to Covid to get themselves checked properly for other illnesses.
She said: “All cancers have felt the devastation of the pandemic but lung cancer faces an additional obstacle given that one of its most common symptoms – a persistent cough – is so often linked to Covid-19.
“For months, people with a cough followed the government’s ‘stay at home’ message.
“While this was essential to stop the spread of coronavirus, now it’s vital people feel able to go to their doctor if the cough persists, or if it’s accompanied by other common lung cancer symptoms, such as breathlessness, unexplained tiredness, coughing up blood or weight loss.
“They should go even if they live in an area currently in local lockdown.”
